Show Notes
How do you know when you're ready to take on staff in your new business? Are you ever actually “ready” to take such a step? That's the basis of this episode, as our assembled panel of experts and business owners offer you their own tips and advice for taking on staff.
Whether you're a sole trader who needs an extra pair of hands for a few months, or the owner of a limited company looking to employ several people, the process is fairly similar across the board.
There's also the danger of putting off hiring staff because you don't think anyone can do the job as well as you. That might be true, but is this approach sustainable in the long term? What happens if you fall ill, or want to take a two week holiday abroad?
On this episode you'll hear from recruitment consultant Patricia McGuire, content marketing guru Chris Marr, photographer Julie Christie, employment law specialist Alison Colley, accountant Gordon Howes, and financial planner Pete Matthew.
Recommended Reading
There's a couple of excellent books on this subject that are worth checking out. The first is a classic called The E-Myth Revisited (Why most small businesses don't work, and what to do about it) by Michael E. Gerber. This one is primarily aimed at small business owners who are trying to do everything themselves.
The second is Virtual Freedom by Chris Ducker. Again it deals with the problem of trying to do it all yourself, but this one is a guide to hiring and managing virtual staff, rather than on-site employees.
Transcript
It becomes very apparent that you can't do everything and that's another piece of advice. Don't be a superhero. You cannot do everything.
I’m Colin Gray, and this is UK Business Startup, where this time, we’re talking people. Do you remember that quote from Chris Marr last time around?
Chris Marr: You need to pick out a time in the day where you are spending an hour or so working on your business. You need to have a plan for that. What are you doing every day to build your business?
This is one of the biggest mistakes new businesses make. They forget to think big. They forget to make time for planning, for strategy, for figuring out how to make the business a success. Instead, they just keep doing what they’re good at. The gardener keeps gardening, the programmer keeps programming, and the baker just bakes! The problem is, that’s not building a business. That’s building a job. And it’s a really terrible job at that. It relies on you to run, it relies on your time, so when you’re not baking, you’re not earning. That means no breaks, no holidays, no time to get sick! And it means no time to bring in more customers or grow a business. That’s what Chris from the Content Marketing Academy was talking about.
So, what’s the way out? Well, building a business that doesn’t just rely on you. That’s what. And that means staff. So, this is where it can get really scary.
Julie Christie: I have two employees. I didn't necessarily feel ready to do it. I just knew I had to do it. For two months, I couldn't afford it. I definitely took a hit because I was training her and I was sitting beside her all the time and we weren't taking on more work. Within two months, she was paying for herself. It was a very, very scary move to make but it was the right move and it allowed me to work on the business. I no longer was having to phone clients, go back and forth with anyone, design albums. All the admin was taken away from me so I was able to then do more shoots and more marketing to get more shoots.
That’s the bit that surprises most new business owners. The admin. There’s so much to do, from logging receipts, to paying tax, to handling bills. And that’s just the general stuff. There’s bound to be tonnes specific to your industry too. So, this is where a lot of people start, as you heard there from Julie Christie, the founder of TeaBreakTog.com. She’s still doing some of the main work – photography in her case – but he’s using the time that’s been free
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